Marked by My Scummy Ex-Wife’s Boss (GL) - Chapter 36.2

Just then, Song Zhen’s phone rang. She looked at the screen—and her breath caught. It was her father.

There was no need to guess—it had to be about their sudden visit.

After a moment’s hesitation, she stepped aside to answer. Her expression was complicated. “Dad.”

“Zhenzhen, with the Dragon Boat Festival coming up, school’s on break, and I heard Cheng Lang’s mom was coming to visit, so I thought…”

“I know,” Song Zhen cut him off quietly. “You’re on tonight’s flight, right? Just landed?”

Her father gave an awkward chuckle and admitted it.

After thinking for a moment, Song Zhen said, “Why don’t you have dinner at the airport? Cheng Lang and I… we’ll be right over.”

Her father replied quickly, “You sure? If it’s not convenient, we can just take the shuttle to the hotel. Really, don’t trouble yourselves. I just wanted to see you, not get in your way…”

He paused before adding sheepishly, “Honestly, I wasn’t even planning on coming, but Cheng Lang’s mom kept talking about the kids. I was worried she might make things hard for you. Since she was coming anyway, I figured I’d tag along, maybe help explain a few things for you…”

He chuckled nervously. “You know how she is—her words can be sharp. You’ve always been respectful to your elders. I just didn’t want you to be put at a disadvantage. But mostly, I just missed you. That’s the real reason—I wanted to see my Zhenzhen.”

His words were scattered, but Song Zhen understood perfectly.

Her father and Cheng Lang’s mother taught at the same school. Clearly, the latter had spoken about her daughter constantly in front of him. Knowing she was coming and might put pressure on Song Zhen, he’d tagged along to shield her.

He said he wanted to visit her, but Song Zhen knew: his real reason was to protect her from being wronged.

Her father wasn’t good at lying. He’d been a chemistry teacher his whole life—a simple, sincere man.

And Song Zhen could always read him like a book.

More than anything, his awkward words revealed his deep concern for her. But since she hadn’t told him about the divorce yet, there was no way she could say it now—definitely not over the phone. Not with both parents together. She’d need to find a way to separate them first. Otherwise, if her father listened to Cheng Lang’s mother drone on, he might get agitated—and that wasn’t worth it.

“Okay, okay. We’ll come get you. Just eat something first, alright?” she said, softening her tone.

She added, “Oh, and I just got commended at work—I’m getting a bonus. So don’t worry about airport prices. Consider it a little celebration dinner on me. I’ll send you a red packet. Treat Cheng Lang’s mom to a nice meal too.”

Knowing the older generation tended to be frugal, Song Zhen didn’t give them a chance to refuse. She sent the money over immediately and told them to wait at the airport after eating. By the time they finished dinner and she arrived, the timing would be just right.

After hanging up, she turned to find Zhu Sui standing nearby, having come out at some point and watching her.

After thinking for a moment, Song Zhen decided to be upfront—especially since Cheng Lang was there—and told her about her father’s visit.

To her surprise, Zhu Sui didn’t show the slightest displeasure. On the contrary, she was delighted. “Your dad’s in Beijing? Great! Let’s go pick him up together!”

Song Zhen froze. Cheng Lang did too.

“Together?”

Zhu Sui folded her arms and replied seriously, “Of course. Didn’t I say I’d be responsible for driving you to and from work these few days? Since your dad’s here, it just makes sense to go to the airport. I don’t mind—after all, you’re a top contributor now. As your colleague, it’s the least I can do.”

Cheng Lang, unaware that Zhu Sui knew about her and Song Zhen’s past, was visibly uncomfortable.

After a moment, she said stiffly, “Well, uh, my mom came too…”

“Huh? What’s going on? Are the two of them… dating in their golden years?” Zhu Sui asked with genuine curiosity.

If Song Zhen had been drinking water, she definitely would’ve sprayed it all over Zhu Sui’s sincere face.

Unfortunately, Cheng Lang missed the joke. Since she and Song Zhen were divorced, she couldn’t explain the past clearly. Facing Zhu Sui’s eager eyes, she hesitated for a long time before muttering, “Our parents know each other. They’re colleagues… so they came together.”

Song Zhen: “…”

One bold enough to ask, one dumb enough to answer!

“Ohh, even better! Dr. Cheng can join us too!” Zhu Sui chirped.

Cheng Lang: “……”

Song Zhen: “…………”

In the end, the three of them really did go to the airport together.

Cheng Lang had driven herself, and since Zhu Sui and Song Zhen did live together, she declined to ride with Cheng Lang. So, Cheng Lang drove her own car while Song Zhen rode with Zhu Sui—two cars, one destination.

Given the awkward history between her and Cheng Lang, Song Zhen didn’t want to bring it up in front of Zhu Sui.

Sitting in the car, she felt a headache coming on. Seeing Zhu Sui’s cheerful expression only made her more anxious. She stayed quiet, playing the part of the innocent bystander in this bizarre “pickup team.”

Cheng Lang had always kept things bottled up, which left a lasting psychological impact on Song Zhen.

Now, not understanding Zhu Sui’s intentions, she worried the other woman might also be secretly upset—and kept observing her closely.

The result? Zhu Sui asked her a whole series of questions.

“Is this outfit okay for meeting your dad?”

“You didn’t tell your family about you and Dr. Cheng. How should I introduce myself—as your supervisor?”

“Emmm… A supervisor sending a commendable subordinate home, just stopping by to help pick up a relative—that sounds perfectly reasonable.”

As she spoke, she even helped piece together the logic of the whole story.

Faced with this ambiguous but upbeat tone, Song Zhen felt even smaller.

As they neared the airport, she finally couldn’t hold it in and asked, “Hey, aren’t you… aren’t you mad?”

“Hm?” Zhu Sui raised an eyebrow.

“It’s just… after all this time, I still haven’t told my dad about the divorce,” Song Zhen looked down and twisted her fingers anxiously. “Doesn’t that upset you?”

But Zhu Sui, to her surprise, was remarkably candid. She shook her head and said, “Why would I be mad?”

Then she smiled, “You weren’t well back then. How could you have had the energy to bring that up with your dad?”

“And now, you’re finally doing better… You said your dad has a heart condition, right? Not telling him actually makes the most sense.”

Song Zhen listened closely, observing her expression and tone, and finally confirmed—Zhu Sui really wasn’t angry.

Not only that, she genuinely understood.

Whether it was that understanding, or the deep warmth behind her words, Song Zhen suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

After a while, her voice husky, she whispered, “Thank you.”

Zhu Sui tilted her head. “Why the thanks, silly?”

Song Zhen bit her lip and stubbornly insisted, “Just—thank you.”

Zhu Sui knew exactly what she meant. And Song Zhen knew that she knew.

Zhu Sui chuckled and said softly, “We’re family. It’s only right.”

Her eyes were firm and sincere. With a calm tone, she said the words that touched Song Zhen’s heart deeply:

“If even I can’t understand you… who else can you count on, right?”

At the airport, Cheng Lang’s mother and Song Zhen’s father were surprised to be greeted by three people.

Zhu Sui stood in the center, radiant and impossible to ignore.

Cheng Lang and Song Zhen flanked her on either side, their relationship hard to decipher.

Cheng Lang introduced Zhu Sui as their department head, who had offered to come along.

The parents nodded. Knowing she was a superior, they didn’t ask too many questions.

Cheng Lang’s mother was about to say something polite—

But Zhu Sui stepped forward with a bright smile, skipping past her to greet Song Zhen’s father with great enthusiasm, “Uncle Song! I heard on the way that your heart’s not in great shape—why are you carrying so much? Here, let me help you!”

Before he could protest, she had already taken his one and only suitcase.

Song Zhen: “…”

Knowing her father, that suitcase probably looked big but contained only a couple of clothes—practically weightless.

Cheng Lang’s mother blinked at her own overloaded hands, a stuffed backpack, and a suitcase even larger than Uncle Song’s… and quietly began to question the standards by which Zhu Sui had declared his luggage too heavy.